This invention relates to tool carriers and organizers, specifically to transporting and using tool belts.
Tool belts are designed to be worn on the workers body, displaying and organizing tools and parts within easy reach of the worker. But frequently the work requires getting into positions or situations where losing tools is a hazard or a tool belt gets in the way and can""t be worn or the tool belt becomes physically uncomfortable during long hours of work.
Plastic buckets fitted with pocketed aprons, cloth bags with pockets inside and outside, various plastic and metal boxes with and without drawers, are a partial solution. But having to transfer tools from the tool belt to a bucket, bag or box and back again, takes time. Nothing is as familiar and easy to use as a workers personal tool belt, where they know exactly what tools they have and where everything is.
Taking a tool belt onto a ladder can be problematic and has been addressed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,003 to Utzinger (Jun. 17, 1997). Utzinger shows a pocketed apron that straps to a stepladder and converts to a tool apron.
Utzinger""s invention being of limited size and structure is also of limited use, and will not work with a standard tool belt or the type and the amount of tools commonly used in the electrical, carpentry or most other construction trades. While being useful on a stepladder, his invention is not self-standing, and must be worn if not strapped to a ladder, thus limiting it""s usefulness.
When worn, Utzingers tool apron concentrates the weight of the tools to the front of the workers torso. Suspenders could help with this imbalance but would be difficult to use with his design. The resulting weight distribution would make his tool apron uncomfortable to wear with anything but the lightest of tools and his design provides no extra room for parts and tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,530 to Kornblatt (Sep. 29, 1998), shows a tool belt that attaches to a tool box that attaches to a ladder. A typical tool belt used in construction, has tool bags and tools dangling well below the waist belt. If such a typical tool belt were used with Komblatt""s invention, the long tools and tool bags of the tool belt would hit the floor before the xe2x80x98boxxe2x80x99 came to rest, upsetting the box and or the tools. Thus the user would have to take a typical construction tool belt off Kornblatt""s carrier when not situated on a ladder or being worn on the body. Storage of this invention with a typical tool belt attached would be difficult for the reason stated above.
Komblatt""s invention must be worn or be installed on a ladder, and then only a stepladder of certain top step proportions, with a single tray limited in carrying capacity to those same proportions.
Transforming Kornblatt""s invention back and forth from a tool belt worn, to a ladder, would be time consuming given the attachment straps and belt tightening procedure given. The more frequent the change over was required the less useful this invention would be.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,095 to Russell (Nov. 10, 1998), shows a typical plastic bucket fitted with straps and locking parts holding a variety of pouches and tools. The straps also convert to a kind of tool belt.
Russell has shown a way to combine a bucket type carrier with a tool belt, but in a cumbersome and complicated manner, requiring a multitude of protruding parts and variety of specially made pouches and tool holders specifically designed to fit only his design. Russell""s design does not work on ladders, is complicated to use, and would be expensive to manufacture and purchase.
Transferring a heavily loaded tool belt to the bucket would be difficult to coordinate given buckets tend to be unstable when loaded unevenly. Russell""s invention could concentrate a lot of weight high and to one side causing a spill if the worker was not careful. And as with Komblatt""s invention, the more frequent transferring one""s tool belt became necessary, the less useful this invention would be.
Russell""s design will not accommodate a standard tool belt used in the trades today, thus requiring the worker to completely replace and adapt to a new system of tool management.
In accordance with the present invention, a tool and parts carrier, capable of supporting a tool bag or tool belt with tool bags, of the type usually worn on the body of the worker. By attaching the tool belt or tool bags onto the carrier, the user is able to utilize the familiarity, accessibility and organizational advantages of the tool belt in a variety of situations where tool belts would be inconvenient or problematic.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my invention:
a) To provide a tool belt carrier that works with the type of tool belts already commonly used in the trades.
b) Simple-design, easy to use and transport, inexpensive to manufacture.
c) Self standing, not dependant on a bucket or ladder to function.
d) Attaches to a wide variety of objects: ladders, lift platform railings, between floor joists, wall nails, or worn over the shoulder hanging from suspenders. Keeps the carrier and tools closer to the worker in more working situations.
e) Faster and easier to transfer the tool belt back and forth from the carrier to the worker""s body, saving the worker time and energy.
f) Multiple, removable trays, provide plenty of extra space for tools and parts. Enables the worker to choose the amount of tray space needed and the tray configuration, to fit the job at hand.
g) The framework folds with the tool belt on or off, making carrying and storage easier.
h) xe2x80x98Axe2x80x99 shaped framework has a broad base and low C.G., making the carrier very stable.
i) Slanting sides display the tools at an ideal angle for easy recognition and access.
j) The tool bags loops can be utilized to attach the tool belt to the carrier instead of the waist belt. A more secure, easier to load and unload design.
k) Slick plastic sides extending around the front of the framework, make loading/unloading smoother, fewer hang ups and snags.
l) The handle is a sturdy surface on which to work, providing a grooved guide and measure, for cutting conduit and pipe.
m) Contoured plastic sides, high in the front and low in the back, support the tool bags yet allow side access to the inner tray""s contents.
n) The tray hook design allows multiple trays to be attached, also serving as a means of supporting the carrier between joists when used in an attic or before flooring is laid over floor joists.
o) Trays xe2x80x9clockxe2x80x9d securely onto the carrier, releasing only when the tabs are bent out-ward.
p) The handle hook inverted upward, serves as a cutting guide for cutting conduit or cable.
q) The trays attach to the carrier in two positions, helping to keep the trays level depending on the tool belt carriers attitude.
r) xe2x80x98Off settingxe2x80x99 the prongs outward, away from the sides, makes loading/unloading easier.
s) Suspenders need not be taken off when using the carrier. The suspenders can also be used as a shoulder strap making transportation of the carrier hands free.
t) One or more of the tool bags can be attached to the carrier, without the belt and or suspenders, depending on the particular needs of the job.
u) The framework extender allows the tool carrier to attach and be used on railings with a large distance between the top and next lower railing.
v) The trays can be attached to the front and back of the carrier as well as the sides.
w) The handle has ruler markings for measuring (not shown), particularly handy when using the handle as a cutting surface for conduit and cable.
Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.